Chapter 432: Setting Aside the Principles in Books for Now

Chapter 432: Setting Aside the Principles in Books for Now

Today, at the Green Gorge Island area of the Scripture Writing Lake, the wind was calm and the waters still, the lake's surface like a mirror. Surrounding it were large and small vassal islands, with green peaks layered in verdant hues. Occasionally, the long cries of immortal cranes from some celestial mansion could be heard, and from time to time, one or two rainbow lights would streak across the distant sky, faint rumbling thunder accompanying them.

The scenery was pleasant, a grotto of the immortals.

Senior Sister Tian Hujun wore a large red gown with a half-sleeved arm covering, golden thread embroidering an auspicious cloud pattern. She walked slowly, carrying a stack of archives in her hands, heading toward the room near the main gate of Green Gorge Island. Along the way, all cultivators who encountered Tian Hujun stepped aside to make way and paid their respects to this beautiful female cultivator.

Tian Hujun never responded to any of them.

She was now a powerful figure of great influence on Green Gorge Island. In recent years, as the island's strength had grown significantly, Tian Hujun had followed her master, Liu Zhimao, and her junior brother, Gu Can, on numerous campaigns. Not only had she honed her cultivation through continuous bloody battles, but she had also reaped abundant rewards from the subsequent dividends. Coupled with Liu Zhimao's generous gifts, Tian Hujun had successfully advanced to become a Golden Core Earth Immortal at the end of last autumn. At that time, Green Gorge Island had held a grand banquet to celebrate Tian Hujun's formation of the Golden Core, making her an immortal among mortals.

Tian Hujun arrived at the door of that room, knocked, and entered. She saw the young man sitting behind the desk, who looked up at her.

The young man wore a hairpin in his bun and a long blue gown. Beside the desk rested a vermillion wine gourd. However, having visited this place many times now, Tian Hujun, as a Golden Core Earth Immortal, had noticed some subtle clues. The wine gourd was no ordinary item; most likely, it was an object that had been obscured by some form of illusion cast by a high-ranking cultivator. Something that required a great cultivator to conceal its aura in such a way was certainly a genuine high-grade magic treasure—for example, a Sword-Nurturing Gourd.

Tian Hujun had once had a private discussion with her master, Liu Zhimao, about the wine gourd. The answer Liu Zhimao had given confirmed Tian Hujun's speculation: it was indeed a high-grade Sword-Nurturing Gourd.

But what made Tian Hujun even more uneasy than this Sword-Nurturing Gourd, which the young man used as a wine gourd, was the longsword kept in the room next to young junior brother Gu Can's residence. Liu Zhimao had asserted that it was a wild and unruly half-immortal weapon.

Liu Zhimao had instructed Tian Hujun to keep all cultivators on Green Gorge Island in check during this period, at least until Chen Ping'an left the Scripture Writing Lake, forbidding them from acting as willfully as before.

That was the first time Tian Hujun had sensed something unfamiliar from her master Liu Zhimao—something called "restraint."

Entering the room, the young man had already stood up and proactively cleared a spot on the desk.

Tian Hujun gently placed the large stack of long-sealed archives on the desk and said apologetically, "Mr. Chen, these are the third batch of secret archives found in the Incense and Fire Hall of Green Gorge Island. That hall has never had anyone cracking the whip; they've grown too accustomed to a carefree life where heaven doesn't care and earth doesn't bother, so they've been careless with preservation. There's quite a bit of insect damage. My apologies, Mr. Chen."

Chen Ping'an waved his hand. "I hope Immortal Tian won't punish the Incense and Fire Hall for this. After all, Immortal Tian and the Green Gorge Island Incense and Fire Hall are helping me out here. Don't you think so, Immortal Tian?"

Tian Hujun had originally planned to deal with the three overseers of the Incense and Fire Hall quite harshly, but upon seeing Chen Ping'an's expression and eyes, she immediately dropped that idea. After a moment's thought, she considered disciplining them privately instead? On the surface, the Scripture Writing Lake was now at peace, and the cultivators of Green Gorge Island, accustomed to the bloodshed of previous years, had recently been idle to the point of boredom. Tian Hujun, who had once been an insignificant senior disciple under River-Severing True Lord, a Dragon Gate realm cultivator whom a passing high-ranking Yin-Yang school expert had predicted would never become an Earth Immortal, had now risen to power. Through her military achievements, she had seized a Plume Immortal Island as her own domain. In the Scripture Writing Lake, this was akin to a feudal prince dividing territory, giving Tian Hujun a true fief of her own. And it was precisely River-Severing True Lord's clear system of rewards and punishments that had enabled Liu Zhimao to establish Green Gorge Island's dominant position in the Scripture Writing Lake. Liu Zhimao was not stingy with rewards for "meritorious officials." Whether newcomers or defectors, as long as they dared to fight, kill, and risk their lives to build merit for Green Gorge Island, the island's ancestral hall always treated them equally.

Chen Ping'an said, "After this, I may need to go find the person in charge of the Incense and Fire Hall to ask about some matters. Please help me relay that, Immortal Tian."

Tian Hujun felt a shiver of fear and immediately smiled, "Mr. Chen is too courteous. This is my duty, and it is the Incense and Fire Hall's honor."

Chen Ping'an remained silent. Seeing that Tian Hujun seemed to have no intention of leaving, he had to speak up, asking softly, "Immortal Tian, is there something you wish to discuss?"

Tian Hujun carefully chose her words in her mind. After formulating her thoughts, she said, "My master asked me to inquire whether Mr. Chen plans to attend the election of the Lake Lord at the Palace Willow Island assembly, which is about to take place."

Chen Ping'an replied, "This is a favorable situation your Green Gorge Island has fought hard to achieve, and it is your own affair within the Scripture Writing Lake. Naturally, I won't interfere. However, I'll watch the excitement from here."

Tian Hujun felt relieved. This reply from the accountant, who baffled most cultivators on Green Gorge Island, was satisfactory and should be enough to report back to her master Liu Zhimao.

Chen Ping'an walked out from behind the desk and escorted Tian Hujun to the door.

Although this happened every time, Tian Hujun still felt unexpectedly flattered. After she had walked some distance, she pondered to herself: Mr. Chen the accountant is still the same person, but perhaps it was now that she knew about the Sword-Nurturing Gourd and that half-immortal weapon?

Chen Ping'an returned to his desk and began flipping through the Incense and Fire Hall archives one by one.

Names, places of origin, birth dates, lineages, relatives, and families.

Many names had already been crossed out in red ink, according to the old rules of the Green Gorge Island Incense and Fire Hall—this was called "archival removal."

Whenever Chen Ping'an found a name he was looking for, he wrote it down in a blank book with no printed content that he kept by his side. Besides birthplace and origin, he also recorded the positions these people had held on Green Gorge Island. In the Incense and Fire Hall archives, the amount of content for each cultivator or servant was tied solely to their cultivation level—those with higher cultivation had more records, while those of low standing had little more than a name and place of origin, often fewer than ten characters.

There were also many dead who had never even appeared in the Incense and Fire Hall records at all. When they died, not even their names remained.

Next, Chen Ping'an would visit the Incense and Fire Hall to ask about the reputations of those whose names he had noted, how others generally perceived them. Then he would trace the threads further, seeking out various cultivators, mansion stewards, and open-fronted maids on Green Gorge Island to inquire about those names, recording them all in his book. During this process, he might need to trouble some powerful figures in key positions on Green Gorge Island, just as he had troubled Tian Hujun regarding the Incense and Fire Hall. Otherwise, for Chen Ping'an at this point, this task no longer demanded much mental effort, but traveling back and forth would consume too much time.

On Tian Hujun's way to report to Liu Zhimao, she happened to encounter the junior brother Gu Can, clad in a dragon-shedding-scale dharma robe.

As for the other junior brothers and sisters, including Qin Que and Chao Zhe, and the ten guest elders residing on the twelve major islands including Green Gorge, Plume Immortal, and Plain Scale—these core members and capable subordinates of Green Gorge Island—with the Palace Willow Island alliance approaching, the upper echelons of Green Gorge Island appeared relaxed on the surface but were tense internally. They were not at ease, needing to act under the banner of River-Severing True Lord, serving as negotiators like strategists of the School of Diplomacy, traveling far and wide to forge alliances, using both schemes and open maneuver without limit.

When Gu Can saw Tian Hujun, he still had his hands tucked into the sleeves of his ink-green python robe, looking like a young farmer. Grinning, he said, "Senior Sister, been to see Chen Ping'an again, have you? Let me kindly remind you, Senior Sister—don't get any improper thoughts. Don't think about offering yourself as a bed companion, crawling into Chen Ping'an's bed one day just so you can taste what it's like when I call you 'Sister-in-law.' Because if you do, after I've called you that, don't expect any sect brotherly affection from me."

Tian Hujun smiled wryly. "Junior Brother, I'm not bewitched. Besides, would Mr. Chen ever fancy someone like me, with my plain looks?"

Gu Can was somewhat pleased. "That's right, Chen Ping'an has high standards. Back then, he didn't even take a fancy to that neighbor girl called Zhigui. Senior Sister, your self-awareness is very gratifying."

When chatting with Gu Can, Tian Hujun always subtly lowered her posture, so that Gu Can didn't have to look up or raise his eyes. Over time, this had become natural.

Gu Can continued, "Also, regarding that matter of the open-fronted maid, you'd better keep it tight-lipped for me. If others let it slip, they're fools seeking their own death. But if someone as clever and sharp-witted as Senior Sister makes a slip, then I'll have to suspect you have ulterior motives. When that happens, since Master couldn't protect the Senior Brother back then, he won't be able to protect you now either. I know that third senior sister, that born seductress who loves to get into other people's blankets, isn't too close to you, Senior Sister. If only her cultivation aptitude weren't so abysmal, we might all have to call her 'Master's Wife' by now."

Tian Hujun's smile stiffened. "Junior Brother, don't you know my character by now?"

Gu Can nodded. "Precisely because I know it, I need to remind you, Senior Sister. Otherwise, if one day you lose your life at my hands for the sake of a few scraps from Master's teeth, you might not regret it, but I, as your junior brother who has looked out for you all these years, would be deeply grieved."

Tian Hujun forced a bitter smile. "I understand."

Gu Can reached out a hand and gently patted Tian Hujun's cheek. "Go on, Master is waiting for your news."

After Tian Hujun left, Gu Can turned to Little Mudfish and said, "Calling you Little Mudfish all the time isn't proper. Come, let's go get you a name from Chen Ping'an."

Little Mudfish fidgeted shyly.

Gu Can laughed. "It's not your true name, so what's there to be afraid or embarrassed about?"

On the way to that room, Gu Can frowned and asked, "That night, the commotion in Chen Ping'an's room—was it really just a mishap in qi refinement, as he said?"

Little Mudfish shook its head. As a Nascent Soul cultivator now, it could look down on the qi refinement practices of Middle Five Realm cultivators with clear insight. "It definitely wasn't that simple. It was only slightly better than a qi deviation. It's hard to say the exact cause. Chen Ping'an has a Pure Martial Artist foundation and is rebuilding his Bridge of Longevity, which is different from the rest of us, so I can't see the full truth. But Chen Ping'an was quite badly injured that night. The master could tell too—not just physically and spiritually, but in his state of mind..."

Little Mudfish dared not continue.

Gu Can stopped in his tracks, falling silent.

The entire person exuded a suffocating aura.

This scourge of the Scripture Writing Lake, the notorious little demon king, hadn't reached where he was today relying solely on Little Mudfish and Liu Zhimao.

Gu Can smiled bitterly. "Then what do you think we should do to make amends?"

Little Mudfish, with the appearance of a fair-skinned young maiden, scratched its head. "Chen Ping'an didn't say anything himself, Master. Maybe you shouldn't overdo it? Master, aren't you always mocking those trapped in desperate situations, saying the more they do, the more mistakes they make?"

Gu Can nodded. "Makes sense."

Arriving at Chen Ping'an's modest room, Gu Can picked up a small stool and sat on the threshold, grinning as he told Chen Ping'an the purpose of his visit—he wanted to give Little Mudfish a name, not involving the true names of worldly creatures or dragons.

Chen Ping'an put down his brush, thought for a moment, and said, "Let it be 'Charcoal Snow.' Charcoal and snow share the same furnace; they are close and dear to each other, which is especially precious."

Gu Can nodded vigorously and said to Little Mudfish, "How about it?!"

Little Mudfish said shyly, "It sounds too literary. I haven't studied, wouldn't people laugh at me?"

Gu Can sneered, "Whoever dares to laugh at your true name, I'll..."

He quickly shut his mouth and stealthily turned his head.

He found Chen Ping'an had already picked up his brush again, continuing to write with his head down.

Gu Can basked in the warm late-autumn sunlight for a while, feeling utterly at ease. He was so comfortable he almost dozed off.

Sitting on that little stool, even if the sky were to fall, Chen Ping'an behind him at the desk would handle it. Gu Can wasn't afraid.

Gu Can stretched lazily, turned his head, and asked, "My mother said she'll cook tonight and make a home-style meal even more authentic than last time. You free?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "Thank Auntie for me. Tell her I'll make it there by dinnertime. Oh, and let her know I won't be drinking."

Gu Can beamed. "Got it! I'll be off then."

As Gu Can was putting the stool back in the corner, Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "Tell Tian Hujun that I want to collect local gazetteers of the Scripture Writing Lake. Besides the treasured books on each island, it may also involve the city of Pond Water beside the lake, and even county records from farther prefectures. All expenses, no matter how much spirit coin, I'll cover. Remind her that when she gives me the final quote, she should include the premium beyond what's on the books, including Green Gorge Island's manpower and resources—everything. Let's conduct this as business. I'm sure the Scripture Writing Lake is no stranger to that."

Gu Can laughed. "Easy! Now that the twelve islands including Green Gorge have fostered a whole bunch of cunning fellows who only know how to wave flags and shout without doing real work, this is just the right time to send them out for some proper business."

Chen Ping'an looked at Gu Can.

Gu Can thought it over. "I'll make it clear beforehand: this is business, pure and simple. They won't dare use Green Gorge Island's banner to force sales or do anything reckless."

Chen Ping'an said, "If there's an accident anyway, tell me immediately. I'll handle it myself."

Gu Can smiled radiantly. "Don't worry, there won't be any accidents. This is Green Gorge Island, the Scripture Writing Lake. There are many rules, and many people like to break them. But for those who break the rules, everyone knows exactly what the price will be. They have it clear in their own books."

Gu Can left the mountain gate area of Green Gorge Island with Little Mudfish.

Suddenly, Gu Can said, "Little Mudfish, I felt Chen Ping'an's look at the end was a bit strange. Were you scared at that moment?"

Little Mudfish said timidly, "A little."

Gu Can swaggered along. "See? I told you, Chen Ping'an fits right in at our Scripture Writing Lake. With him here, at most I'm only afraid of him, but I can be truly fearless about everything else. This deal—who do you think benefits more? Me, of course."

Little Mudfish smiled shyly. "Charcoal Snow thinks that's right."

Gu Can turned his head and saw Little Mudfish looking down, twisting the hem of her clothes. Gu Can laughed and scolded, "You shameless little girl! Earlier you said it was too literary, and now you're already eagerly using the name?"

But then Gu Can's face fell. "But Little Mudfish, we need to be careful lately. No more of that killing like before. Don't think that just because Chen Ping'an is playing the accountant, he's not watching us."

Little Mudfish patted its belly. "Not hungry for now."

Gu Can rolled his eyes. "You've just eaten that Golden Core woman. If you say you're hungry again, who am I supposed to catch for you? My master?"

Little Mudfish's eyes glittered with excitement.

Gu Can chuckled, tucking his hands into his sleeves and looking up. "Little Mudfish, I'm very happy. Happier than when I kill someone."

Little Mudfish imitated him, having recently learned to "speak openly." "Before my belly gets hungry, as long as Master is happy, I'm happy too."

Gu Can asked, "What do you think Chen Ping'an is really up to?"

Little Mudfish shook his head. "I don't dare get close to Chen Ping'an or his desk. I don't like thinking about things anyway. I don't know."

Gu Can sighed. "Doesn't matter. As long as I can see Chen Ping'an every day, what more could I want?"

---

Inside the tall building of Pond Water City.

Cui Dongshan had recently begun standing up, often pacing within that golden lightning pool.

In contrast, Cui Chan had closed his eyes in concentration, occasionally receiving flying-sword transmissions of the highest rank, requiring him to personally handle military and political matters related to the Great Li dynasty's direction.

Cui Dongshan stood at the edge of that circle, looking down at two scrolls. One showed the actions and words of Gu Can and his maidservant Little Mudfish; the other showed the scene inside Chen Ping'an's accountant room.

Cui Dongshan began commenting on Gu Can: "Prominent bones lead to early death; exposed bones mean no foundation; horizontal bones indicate fierce qi; bones like metal and stone mean an extremely hard fate. Hey, old turtle, do you think this little brat Gu Can, if he had left the Pear Blossom Grotto-Heaven and never seen Chen Ping'an again, could have become the second Upper Five Realm cultivator in Vial Continent after Liu Laocheng at Bee Tail Ferry?"

Cui Chan opened his eyes and nodded. "Highly possible. In a chaotic world, Gu Can actually thrives."

Cui Dongshan smiled. "Old turtle, what do you say now? My master is severely injured, his very foundation of the Great Way damaged. But this deadlock hasn't become deader after all. Are you more disappointed than my master, eh? Haha, you painstakingly arranged four trials, and yet my master directly conceded on the third trial concerning his conscience. Since deep down he still believes Gu Can's actions are wrong, yet he can neither kill Gu Can with one punch nor abandon him, he chose to get past that hurdle of conscience first. Resolutely, he shattered his painstakingly refined second destined object, thereby turning your first two trials into a joke. Moreover, my master was able to make another cut and delineation, picking a narrow path with the fewest forks. For now, setting aside emotion and law, not quibbling over law and reason, he began instead to trace things to their origins. And while pondering this chain of cause and effect, my master for the first time attempted to step out of his own circle of 'being without error.' This is akin to breaking through a barrier, no longer imprisoning himself within principles. He began to step into the great world, and wherever his thoughts reach, there is nowhere in the world he cannot go!"

Cui Chan replied evasively, "I hear you've recently picked up the School of Logicians' calculations that we abandoned back then, and started studying vein obstructions?"

Cui Dongshan chuckled. "Small achievements, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning. Can't compare to the grand plans you old turtle are scheming."

Cui Chan sneered, "If you have something to say, just say it. What are you holding back for? Do you think I'll beg you to speak of those newly realized profound truths?"

Cui Dongshan rubbed his hands together. "Since the old turtle is twisting around to beg me, I'll just... mention one interesting thing. I'm sure you're curious too. Let me ask you, old turtle Cui, don't you want to know how my master got past his future father-in-law and mother-in-law during that trip to Inverted Mountain? I can give you a hint—it has a tiny bit to do with Gu Can."

Cui Chan said calmly, "Back in the bamboo tower on Fallen Mountain, Grandfather mentioned that Chen Ping'an's greatest danger at Inverted Mountain and the Sword Qi Great Wall was that he could break through two realms in one go from the fourth realm directly to the peak of the sixth realm of martial arts. A calculating fellow like Chen Ping'an surely thought of that. From current signs, his ability to restrain his fist intent to such a degree—his experiences in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land might not be enough. More likely, during that test by his father-in-law... hmm, there's a shop at Inverted Mountain that sells Millet Dream wine. Those who drink it forget their worries. Chen Ping'an probably reached the sixth realm there. How he did it and how he returned to his original realm—the world is full of wonders, and there's a School of Miscellaneous patriarch who's been selling wine there for years. None of that matters. Even if Chen Ping'an had ascended to become an Earth Immortal in one step, I wouldn't be surprised. So how Chen Ping'an passed the test is simple: two Dao partners who were great sword immortals from the Sword Qi Great Wall disguised themselves as passersby in the Millet Dream Blessed Land wine shop, deliberately provoked Chen Ping'an into hot-bloodedness, made him abandon his martial arts future, breaking through realms in a desperate situation all so he could speak a few fair words for his beloved girl's parents."

Cui Dongshan grinned. "You old turtle, you're still formidable. But watch your language from now on. My master isn't 'calculating'; he thinks more and grows wisdom. The two of us, born with a bellyful of mischief, are worlds apart."

Cui Chan snorted. "I bet everyone at the Sword Qi Great Wall thinks Chen Ping'an isn't good enough for Ning Yao."

Cui Dongshan looked puzzled. "Old turtle, what's up with you? Why are you defending my master? What, thinking of surrendering halfway? If so, that's not impossible. Let's call it a draw?"

Cui Chan went on, as if to himself, "Back then, he was willing to sacrifice his martial arts future to get past that trial at Inverted Mountain. If now he couldn't even bear to stay for Gu Can's sake, then Chen Ping'an wouldn't be qualified to be in this game. How many so-called clever people have we seen who won't give up today, thinking they'll give up tomorrow when they have more?"

Cui Dongshan grew more confused. "Cui Chan, you're defending my master again? Have you lost your mind? Don't be like this. If you really are going mad, at least wait until after that great deed is done. Then you can go crazy. I'll even put a little food bowl by the door of the bamboo tower on Fallen Mountain for you..."

Cui Chan pointed at the room in the scroll, then turned to Cui Dongshan, curling his lips in a sneer. "Didn't I tell you earlier? The fourth trial is hard because it contains countless difficulties. Do you realize the fourth trial has only just begun? The more Chen Ping'an invests his heart now, the more hurdles he'll face later. At that point, I reckon you'll be begging me to surrender halfway, worrying whether Chen Ping'an has completely fallen into demonic possession."

Cui Dongshan no longer pretended to be nonchalant. He sat back down in his original spot and said slowly, "Victory or defeat in the short term lies in strength; victory or defeat over ten thousand years lies in principle."

Cui Chan laughed. "And what if this 'short term' is several decades, a hundred years? The entire life of a mortal. What will you do then? What will Chen Ping'an do?"

Cui Dongshan said sternly, "You should learn from my master—know how to treat the world kindly. And I, Cui Dongshan, am one of the people of this world, so stop pressing me here."

Cui Chan smiled faintly. "Ruan Xiu and her group have entered the game. The master of Palace Willow Island, Liu Laocheng, whom the Scripture Writing Lake has nearly forgotten, is also about to enter. Perhaps those who arrive early are no match for those who arrive at just the right time."

Cui Dongshan shook his head. "Not listening, not listening. The turtle is chanting sutras."

Cui Chan said slowly, "This is the cost of reasoning. You gave away a loach that would inevitably become a Nascent Soul for nothing in Mud Vase Alley. You lost Qi Jingchun's Mountain character seal at Dragonfish Trench. You nearly got stabbed to death by Du Mao at Old Dragon City. It seems your master still hasn't suffered enough, hasn't paid a big enough price. No matter. This time in the Scripture Writing Lake, he can feast to the point of bursting."

Cui Dongshan still sat there, swaying back and forth. "Not listening, not listening, the turtle is chanting sutras. The old turtle's sutras are the ugliest to hear."

Cui Chan turned his head and looked at this "young Cui Chan." "If you ever get the chance to go back to Fallen Mountain, remember to be kinder to Grandfather. If I were Grandfather and saw you in this state, I'd have beaten you to death back then."

Cui Dongshan not only swayed his hips but also began waving his two large white sleeves.

Cui Chan muttered to himself, "Is he going to corner himself on a dead-end road?"

---

When Chen Ping'an put down his brush, he suddenly noticed the sunlight outside.

He thought for a moment, then walked out of the room and began to air-dry his bamboo slips.

Many of the bamboo slips had characters engraved on both sides. It wasn't that there was a shortage of bamboo; having traveled thousands of miles, he had naturally encountered plenty of bamboo groves along the way.

But when one has read many books, one finds that many principles, even if they belong to different branches of the Three Teachings and Hundred Schools, some paired phrases on the same slip still feel "close." Different veins within Confucianism are still like direct descendants; different veins among the Three Teachings are like close neighbors; the Three Teachings and the various philosophers outside them are like friends met by chance on the martial world, or distant relatives not contacted for years?

As Chen Ping'an was airing the bamboo slips, he picked up one. On the front was a Confucian saying: "Things have roots and branches, affairs have beginning and end. To know what comes first and what comes after is to approach the Way."

On the reverse was that Daoist saying: "Heaven and Earth possess great beauty but do not speak; the four seasons have clear laws but do not discuss; all things have completed principles but do not explain."

But this particular bamboo slip was special. When Chen Ping'an had once read a Buddhist sutra, he had carved a smaller line of Buddhist text in the margin: "The wondrous principles of all Buddhas are not concerned with written words."

There was one slip with "The gentleman attends to the root; when the root is established, the Way is born" on one side, and the Buddhist "There is no fixed dharma that the Tathagata can proclaim" on the other.

He picked it up, recited it silently, and gently put it down.

Chen Ping'an picked up another slip: "The dharma is equal, with no high or low"; "People may be north or south, but Buddha-nature has no north or south." The reverse read: "Ruler and subject, superior and inferior, noble and base—all follow the law."

Finally, Chen Ping'an picked up a slip. On the front was: "There is no greater sorrow than a dead heart; the death of a person is secondary." On the reverse: "When exhausted, change; when changed, you can get through; when you get through, you can last long."

The autumn sky was clear and high, the sun shining brightly.

Chen Ping'an aired all the bamboo slips and then squatted down in the empty space at the center, as if at the heart of a circle, tucking his hands into his sleeves, looking around.

He remained squatting like that until the sun slanted toward the mountains. Then he began to gather the bamboo slips one by one and put them into his storage artifact.

All these principles in the books—set them aside for now.

Principles are in the books; living is outside the books.

This was a principle Chen Ping'an had understood before the Pear Blossom Grotto-Heaven had shattered and fallen—not from reading it in a book, but because someone had earnestly spoken it, and he had listened attentively.

Just as Chen Ping'an finished putting away all the bamboo slips, he saw Gu Can walking toward him with Little Mudfish, waving at him.

Chen Ping'an closed the door of the room and walked toward Gu Can to go together to that wealthy mansion, as lavish as a feudal lord.

On the main door were two colored paintings of door gods.

Chen Ping'an looked at them and murmured to himself, "They can block ghosts, but not people."

Gu Can asked, "What's wrong?"

Then he said with some complaint, "You just had to move to live near the mountain gate. You can't even hang proper door gods there—how shabby."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Let's go eat."

At the dinner table, Chen Ping'an found that Gu Can's mother had already poured wine for both of them.

Little Mudfish sat beside Gu Can. It didn't really enjoy eating these things, but it liked sitting here, sharing the meal with the mother and son—it made it feel more human.

Gu Can had actually arranged with his mother that there would be no drinking tonight, so he was a bit worried, afraid Chen Ping'an would be angry.

But he saw Chen Ping'an had already picked up his wine cup, toasting Auntie. Not only that, he poured himself another cup, took a sip, and started picking up dishes.

Throughout the meal, the woman mostly chatted about trivial and amusing events from the old days in the Pear Blossom Grotto-Heaven. Chen Ping'an didn't stay silent the whole time; he talked about some of the lively happenings in Dragon Spring County now.

A happy and harmonious scene.

After finishing one cup of wine, Gu Can felt he could drink a thousand catties without getting drunk.

But unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an poured cold water on him. "You're still young. Even though you're a Qi refiner now, and Crow's Cry Wine can aid cultivation, you should still drink less. If you're really happy, three cups is enough."

Gu Can made a funny face and nodded in agreement.

The woman covered her mouth and laughed.

If Chen Ping'an could manage her son Gu Can more in these harmless little matters, she would be very happy to see it.

Especially after Little Mudfish had inadvertently mentioned the matter of that jade talisman inscribed with "I Nurture My Grand Qi," the woman had thought alone for half the night and felt it was a good thing. At the very least, it would make Liu Zhimao more cautious. As long as Chen Ping'an could protect himself, at least it meant he wouldn't drag her son Gu Can down, right? As for all those tangled rights and wrongs, she found them annoying to listen to. She didn't think Chen Ping'an would deliberately harm Gu Can, and as long as he didn't do good deeds with bad results and wasn't the type to act without measure, she would let him stay on Green Gorge Island.

After the meal, Chen Ping'an began his usual practice of taking a solitary walk along the lake path around Green Gorge Island.

He walked and stopped, with no particular destination.

Occasionally, he encountered some cultivators of Green Gorge Island, mostly young, low-ranking Lower Five Realm Qi refiners. As for the servants and maids, naturally they dared not wander recklessly away from the various mansions.

When they saw Chen Ping'an, they all called out "Mr. Chen." They didn't really know the background of this young man; they had only heard that he was a distinguished guest personally invited to Green Gorge Island by Gu Can. Not only that, but Gu Can visited the room by the mountain gate every day to chat with this guest—a rare occurrence, as unheard of as the sun rising in the west.

But after this accountant was polite to everyone, it actually made people more uncertain, and unconsciously, they felt less awe.

Could he be all show? Perhaps a fellow townsman of the little demon king Gu Can from the Great Li? Or a younger relative of that lady's family?

Chen Ping'an walked along the quiet path and stopped.

Before him stood two people: one was Gu Can's senior brother Chao Zhe, and the other was Lü Cai Sang, whom Gu Can regarded with some favor. Lü Cai Sang was a handsome youth in dazzling white robes. He was actually nearly thirty years old, but his temperament and appearance were still that of a youth. He had probably entered the Cavern Realm when he was just over ten, which kept his complexion like a child's. This showed that the old Nascent Soul cultivator, one of the few in the Scripture Writing Lake, had good judgment in accepting Lü Cai Sang as a closed-door disciple.

Lü Cai Sang left behind the halted Chao Zhe, stepped forward a few paces, and said with a dark face, "You're called Chen Ping'an? I advise you to stop bossing Can Can around from now on!"

Chen Ping'an asked directly, "And if I don't?"

Lü Cai Sang was slightly taken aback. As he was about to speak,

Chen Ping'an's gaze had already passed over Lü Cai Sang to look at Chao Zhe, who considered himself an outsider. After a moment's hesitation, Chen Ping'an said a strange phrase: "Never mind. Don't let it happen again."

Chao Zhe seemed to want to speak but stopped.

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "No need to explain. I know. I just don't want to hear it."

Lü Cai Sang, looking at this haggard young man whose brow was filled with gloom, sneered, "Quite the big talk. Did Can Can lend you that courage?"

Chen Ping'an, who looked like an invalid, extended an arm horizontally.

Chao Zhe instinctively wanted to step back, but unwilling to show weakness in front of Lü Cai Sang, who was an outsider to Green Gorge Island, he forced himself to stay calm.

Heaven and earth fell silent.

Lü Cai Sang laughed loudly. "What are you doing?"

Chen Ping'an furrowed his brow and muttered to himself, "Not coming? Think carefully."

When the words fell,

A golden thread suddenly shot up from Gu Can's mansion, stretching continuously until a longsword hovered above the young man's palm.

Even though the flying sword had already stopped an inch above his palm, motionless,

The golden line left by the trajectory of this flying sword

Did not dissipate.

Lü Cai Sang narrowed his eyes.

His heart was shaken.

Chen Ping'an asked, "By the rules of the Scripture Writing Lake, the two of you should be dead by now, shouldn't you?"

Chen Ping'an glanced at that half-immortal sword immortal, which was trembling slightly, and said calmly, "Go back. Next time I draw my sword, I'll make sure you're satisfied."

This "sword immortal" flashed away, and the golden line over a thousand zhang long finally disappeared.

Lü Cai Sang still stood his ground, unwilling to back down.

Chao Zhe had already stepped aside, making way.

Chen Ping'an looked at Lü Cai Sang, whose face showed a willingness to face death, and despite his exhaustion not diminishing in the least, he unexpectedly smiled. "Gu Can probably truly considers you a friend."

After saying this, Chen Ping'an actually turned and walked away, back toward that room.

Lü Cai Sang, feeling some lingering fear deep inside, turned to look at Chao Zhe, who was drenched in cold sweat. Lü Cai Sang still put on a brave face, asking, "Did this guy get water in his head or something?"

Chao Zhe dared not say a word.

You damn Lü Cai Sang can run back to your master's place and hide, but if I provoke this unassuming sword immortal plague god, where can I run?

Chen Ping'an returned to that room and lit the lamp on the table.

Local gazetteers from various parts of the Scripture Writing Lake were sent in one after another, along with some ancestral hall registers of various major islands. Tian Hujun had been able to deliver them so quickly for a simple reason: they were all spoils of war seized by Green Gorge Island, and the least valuable kind at that. If Chen Ping'an hadn't brought it up, they would have been burned as waste paper eventually. Of Green Gorge Island's current eleven vassal islands, each had had its incense and fire cut off by the master and disciple's own hands.

All needed to be reviewed one by one, and excerpts needed to be made.

After that, he would need to ask even more detailed questions. Then, it wouldn't be a matter of just sitting here writing.

But Chen Ping'an didn't think it was such a difficult task. For one, he was good at patient, meticulous work—this was just setting aside fist practice to do something else. For another, if he found it difficult just because it was the beginning, he could have given up long ago.

Late at night, the full moon hung outside the window, its clear brilliance pure and bright. Chen Ping'an put down his brush, rubbed his wrists, pushed open the door, and strolled around in a circle to clear his mind.

He had already sent out three letters: to Clothes Cloud Mountain in Dragon Spring County, to Peace Mountain in Parasol Leaf Continent, and to the Fan family in Old Dragon City.

He estimated it would be a while before he received replies by flying sword.

Chen Ping'an wasn't anxious—there was no use in being impatient.

Over the thousands of mountains and rivers he had traversed, he had always walked step by step. The back-and-forth of flying swords was much faster.

Chen Ping'an suddenly walked out of the circle, passed through the mountain gate of Green Gorge Island, and headed to the ferry.

Standing at the shore, he crouched down, scooped up a handful of water, washed his face, and then raised his head, looking into the distance.

For some reason, at that moment, looking at this Scripture Writing Lake—so notorious in Vial Continent, as common as dirt—he recalled a fine saying whose origin he had long forgotten and now didn't care to investigate.

"Heroic spirit fills heaven and earth, majestic even after a thousand autumns."